Apparatus for heating oil



May 7, 1929. 4 J. A. YERKEs ARPARATUS FOR' HEATING OIL Filed Feb. 16.1926 INVENOR, John A. Yerke' ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 7, l1929.

JOHN A; Ynienns, or LONGBEACH, "o aLIFonNaf Arran-Atrus non nearingoir.. A,

Application filed February rlhis invention relates to heating apparatus,and more particularly to an apparatus lor heating the oil in oil wellsto reducethe viscosity of the oil, so that it may be more easilT andeiliciently pumped out oi. the well and inv greater` volume thanotherwise. l

@ne of the objects of the invention is to provide an oil wellheatingapparatus of the character stated, whereby the entire oilformation of the well may be heated.

fill

Another object is to provide an oil well heating` apparatus by means ofwhich the oil will be heated below the pump and all the wayV up the pumpand puinptubing to the top of the wallfso that the oil will be moreelizectively heated and its viscosity reduced to a minimum, in orderthat the pump may oper-y ate more eiiieiently and pump the eil` out ofthe well in efreater volume than is rpossible v t) v with oth u pumpinglapparatus.

Another object is yto `provide an oil ywell pump and an oil heating,`apparatus combined in one struct-ure so that the sainemay be raised orloweredin the oil lwell as a unit.

A further object is to provide a continuous circulating heating systemfor heating the oil in oil wells.

"With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel and usefulk iiovision formation constructionand inter- Y 1 a 7 vrelation of parts, members and features, all

as shown in the drawing, hereinafter de-c scribed, and finally pointedout in claims.

ln the drawing:

ligure l is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section ofmy heating apparatus as applied to an oil well and pump;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on an `en lai-ged scale of the lowerport-ion of myheating` apparatus as shown in Fig. l;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the lower portionei a modified form ofmy invention; Y Figure Ll is an enlarged side view of a portion of myinvention showing the holding means for the water circulating pipe; and,

Figure 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4:. n Corresponding parte in all thefigures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referringl with particularity to the drawing, I have shown an oil wellWlined with a casing;` C and an ripper casing' section C in which theupper portion of the casing C tele- `opes, there being' per'itorations cin the lower portion oi? the casing' C and a hea'd c detachably fittedon the upper end of the casing section C.

16,1926. serial No.A 88,639.

The headcf is providediwitha central threaded opening c2 in ywhich isscrewthreaded the upper portion or a pump water jacketL tubelv J whichextends downwardly into the casingC, the lower end `o' said tube being`screw seated in the upper endet a screw cou pling` K as at j, whichcoupling is screwfcon-,yr Y

nected to the upper en'd or a perforated inlet tube I provided ,with`perforations z'. The lower end of said inlet tube is coupled tothe uperend of a. het water heating chamber H bymeans of a screw coupling L,which chamber.y i

restsin the bottom of the well, therebeing a headk h gripped betweentlie,`,adjoinin`g ends ofthe inlet tubing'fl and the chamber H, whichhead separates the tube from the chain-` ber. yQn theylower endo thechamber H is connected a cap 72, by means of a screwcoupling h2. kThewater `jacket tube J includes upper section j which isscrew seated atits lower end in the ,opening offof the head l c and is closed atits'upperend by'a head o A' pump P extends throughthe water jacket tubeJ. This pump may be of the California oil well pump type, but its shoeS, which is screwseated on the lower end of its rbarrel l, is `)formedwitha conical end 8 which seats on ar conical seat 7c in the upper endof the eouplingK. The upper end of ,the pump,

tube 2, whicliis coupled atits lower end to Y ytheupper endet the pumpbarrel 1` by coupling 3, extends through the head j?, and a stufiingooz:in said head. In the pump barrel l are the usual standing' :valve 4,

plunger (lrarbutt rod 6 and nut 7 connectiup,` said valve and plunger,and working` valve 8 connected to the upper end of said plunger, tokwhich latter valve is connected the lower end of the sucker rod l()whichv eX-y tends throughthe stu'fiingfbox llin the upper end of the`pump tubeZf,v there beingoutlet pipes l2 and 13 leading :trointlie upperend or thepuinp tube. E i y o iriiapparatus iorpraeticinginy inventioninclu tanl;r `rl", ,heating n n jacket tube J.l `A steam rsupply pipe l5leads into the steam operating "lindei' 'mi ofthe pump M and a steamexhaust pipe 1G leads from said cylinder into the upper part ofthe waterheating' tank 'll where itis wound into a heating' coil N and itsoutletend n exten ded out oil the lower part of the tank. The tank T isiilledwith water and a water pipe'l leads ves a steam pump M, a, waterheatingk cliainberf H, 'and' water therefrom into the water cylinder mof the y is split at 19 and its adjoining ends screw.

seated in a screw coupling 2O welded on the upperside of the head fh. Onthe lower end ot' the pipe 18 in the chamber H is coupled a perforatedoutlet cage 21. The pipe 18 is clamped o'n the water jacket tube J byband clamps 22 which engage the tube just above` the joint couplings jNkthereof. A bypass 24 leads from the upper end of the heating chamber Hinto the lower end ot the hot Water jacket tube J. An outlet pipe 25leads from the 'upper end of the water jacket J into the top of thewater heating tank T. In the modilied form of my invention shown in thepipe 18 leads'into chamber H through the side thereof as at 30.

In operation the oil is pumped out of the well by the pump P through theinlet tube I, couplingK, shoe S, pump barrel 1 and pump tube 2. Thewater in the tank T is heated by the exhaust steam ot the pump M passingthrough the coil N. Hot water is pumped by pump M out of said tankthrough pipe 17 into cylinder m and from said cylinder through pipe 1-8and cage 21 into the heating chamber H, which heats the oil in the wellbelow the pump P, and from said heating chamber the hot water isconducted through by-pass 24, water jacket tube J and outlet pipe 25back into the tank T, the water passing through the water jacket tubeheating the oil in the pump I) and in the pump tubing 2 all the 'way tothe top thereof. The heating of the oil in the well below the pump bythe hot water in 'the chamber H and the heating of the oil in the pumpand pump tube all the way to the top thereof by the hot water in thejacket tube J reduces-the viscosity of the oil, so that Jthe oil may bepumped more freely and in greater volume from the well than otherwise.

The pump and heatingl apparatus including thepipe 18, chamber H, by-pass24, and water jacket J, being combined in one structure, maybe raised orlowered in the well as a unit.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In combination with an oil well and pump, a hot water chamber belowthe pump, a hot water jacket surrounding the pump, and means forcirculating hot water through said chamber and jacket.

2. In combination with an oil well pump, and pump tube, a hot waterchamber below said pump, a hot water jacket surrounding the pump and thepump tube, and means for circulating hot water through said hot waterchamber and acket.

3. In combination with an oil well and pump, a hot water chamber belowthe pump,

a hot water tank, a steam-operated pump, the exhaust pipe ot saidsteam-operated pump leading into said hot water tank and 'formed in acoil therein, a hot waterpipe leading from said tank into the pumpingcylinder of said steam-operated pump, a hot water pipe leadin g fromsaid pump cylinder into said hot water chamber, and means tor conveyingthe hot water from said chamber back to said hot water tank.

4. In combination with an oil well and pump, a hot water chamber belowthe pump, a hot water jacket surrounding the pump, a hot water tank, Vasteam-operated pump, the exhaust pipe ot1 said steam-operated pumpleading into said tank and formed in a coil therein, a hot water pipeleading trom said Vtank into the pumping cylinder ot' said steamoperatedpump, a hot water pipD leading from said pumping cylinder into said hotwater chamber, a by-pass connecting said hot water chamber and said hotwater jacket, and an exhaust water pipe leading from said acket backinto said tank.

' 5. In combination with an oil well pump including a conical shoe andan inlet tube, a heating apparatus comprisingr a hot water jacketsurrounding said pump, a couplingl connecting said jacket and inlettube, said coupling being formed `with a conical seat therein on whichseats said shoe, a hot water chamber coupled on the lower end ot saidinlet tube, and means r'or circulating hot water through said chamberand said jacket.

G. In combination with an oil well pump including` a conical slice andan inlet tube, a heating apparatus comprising a hot water jacketsurrounding said pump, a coupling connecting said jacket vand inlettube, said coupling being formed with a conical seat therein on whichseats said shoe, a hot water cl unber coupled on the lower end oi saidinlet tube, and means carried on the apparatus tor circulating hot waterthrough said hot water jacket.

In testimony whereof, AI have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN A. YERKES.

